Another one for nursing mothers...?

I know this sounds stupid but I went to the doctor last week for his check up and they told me I could start solids... At first I was excited... A new thing he'll be able to do!!! But then I started reading the info i got from them on solids, how to start them how much when to start new ones... I just got overwhelmed and very sad. I don't want him to eat something other then my milk... I'm actually jelous of that little box of cereal... Is this normal? did anyone else go through this?

Yes you will miss the nursing. My son is 6 now and I am so glad that I had the chance to bond with him when I nursed him. I nursed him for 2 years and I really missed the close bonding times we had together. But you do have to realized that they are getting bigger and that solid foods are good for them and it will make them strong. So don't feel alone because I really do feel that a lot of moms go through this with the bonding period.

A question for you - How old is your little one? We started introducing solids around 6-7 months when my daughter wouldn't keep her hands off our plates. It really depends on when you and your baby are ready. If baby shows no interest, don't worry about it. If baby is showing an interest try some mashed potatoes or something soft you don't have to worry about little one choking on. Since they grow up so fast anyway, enjoy the quiet bonding time while you can and congrats on nursing successfully! I know first hand how difficult that can be :)

I was excited to feed my baby solids. It was definitely overwhelming, but it was fun to see his response to the foods I gave him. Just remember - cereal only between 4 and 6 months, then veggies, one at a time - have a 3-5 day spacing between new foods, add fruits last. Proteins not until 8 months...

Good luck!

It is perfectly natural hun. It's just something you have to do though. And just to give added encouragement to help you, it's good for his teeth to stop early when it comes to the solid vs suckling. I stayed on the tit as long as my mom could take it, then switched to solids and bottles till I was 4 just because she didn't want to give up her baby. Because of that, I have a horrible over bite and everyone called me things like Squirrel Rabbit and Beaver till my face grew into my buck teeth!

Hope I've helped!

I decided that I would exclusively breastfeed for the first six months and then start solids, and continue breastfeeding of course! I have a friend who exclusively breastfed for the first year for all three of her kids and they then right to dinner table!

One of the great things about breastfeeding is that you always know they are getting what they need from you! Since you are nursing your child, you can relax regarding the solids, you don't have to stuff your child...just give him a taste of this and that...my little guy had mashed banana for his first food, then cearel mixed with my breastmilk. Remember, you are just now INTRODUCING solids.

You are doing great, don't worry, your feelings will balance out and you can have fun with the food!

There is no need to feel left out, I nursed all of my children until they were a year old. they need the additional nutirtion as get get older but you need not stop nursing. Pump your milk to use in the cereal as well. I didn't supplement with formula until they were 10 months old and it was time to start slowly weening them, also if you use formula it is best to use soy based formula. With this you avoid possible milk allergies and it's easier on the digestive system during the transition. If you can avoid the use of commercial formula your baby will be better off.

I breastfed EXCLUSIVELY for 12 months. NOTHING but my milk. Not one jar of baby food, no cereal, no formula, nothing! My son is 3 1/2 now, and he is the most healthy baby I've ever seen. If you feel that your baby is fine with just your milk, by all means, continue as you have been. Do as much research as you can about the subject! I did and it really helped me see that I was doing the best thing for my baby. Good Luck!

Very normal, esp when you look on the back to see what vitamins baby food has. Most have next to nothing and you already know all the benefits of breast milk. How old is your baby? The AAP recommends that you wait until your baby is at least six months of age before starting solids, many doctors are not aware of this and keep telling moms that at four months of age to start baby on cereal. Also, cereal does not have to be your babies first food. A lot of moms start their baby out on sweet potatoes or bananas.

My little girl loves her food and she even gets excited when she sees a jar of baby food headed her direction but she still WANTS to nurse and I let her as much as possible. She nurses at least 8-9 times a day. I am in no hurry to wean her, I love nursing her, it is our special time together.

Perfectly normal to feel that way.

Babies who are breastfed really don't need solids until about 6 months. I waited until about 5.5 months for my youngest. She hated cereal and only got that once or twice. Nothing wrong with skipping it altogether.

If you still want to exclusively breastfeed, do it. It looks like your gut is telling you your baby isn't ready to start solids yet. If you don't feel ready, don't feel pressured to start. The feeding guidelines of when to start solids are only guidlines, and solids are really for experimentation only at this age. They don't really need solids until sometime after their first birthday. My Mother-In-Law exclusively breastfed her youngest for a whole year (and continued breastfeeding until he was 2), and he's the only one wihtout gastro-intestional problems as an adult. I actually believe babies should be started on fruits, vegetables or even meats rather than cereal. The only reason cereal is started first is because of the iron fortification, and because breastfed babies typically are not anemic, there is no reason to start it other than tradition. I actually started my daughter on finger foods first and she did really well with them, and today eats a wide variety of foods.

First, make sure your baby's really ready.

Many docs still give outdated advice, suggesting solids as early as 4 months, even though this goes against the latest recommendations by the American Association of Pediatrics (which recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months).

However, delaying the start of solids beyond 7 months has been linked to increased risk of diabetes. So you do want to hit that window.

I had a really hard time starting my son on solids. I hated the very thought of it.

My answer was to make my husband feed him. This worked out well for everyone. My boy got to play with food, my husband got to bond over meals, and I didn't have to deal with something that made me want to cry.

By the time he transitioned to finger-foods, it got easier on me. :)

My son will be 20weeks this week - so I know he'll probably be ready for solids soonish - I'm really excited that he'll be taking that next step to becoming a big boy who can eat big boy foods - but it can be hard - your breast milk has sustained him for so longand really is nutritinally great. My son never got the hang of latching on - so he was breast fed via a bottle. I was in tears when I couldn't pump enough to satisfy his hunger and had to supplement - knowing he was having something other than mummy's milk was devastating. However, I realised it bothered me more than him - he's perfectly happy whatever he's drinking! Your son will probably really enjoy the variety that solids offer- you can still have plenty of mummy-son bonding time.